Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy Williams to resign at request of Biden administration
Updated: Feb. 12, 2021, 9:52 a.m. | Published: Feb. 09, 2021, 10:26 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams, 64, served as acting and interim U.S. attorney after replacing Amanda Marshall in April 2015 before he was appointed by Trump on Nov. 17, 2017, and confirmed by the Senate in March 2018. He joined the U.S. attorney's office in October 2000 after serving as a Multnomah County deputy district attorney. Stephanie Yao Long/Staff
By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in November 2017, was among the U.S. attorneys nationwide directed Tuesday to step down as the Biden administration seeks to replace them.
"On an all-U.S. Attorney call this morning, Acting Attorney General Wilkinson instructed most presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Attorney Williams included, to submit resignations effective February 28, 2021," said Kevin Sonoff, a spokesman for the Oregon U.S. Attorney's Office.
"Our office is taking all necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition and will provide more information soon."
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug is expected to take over the top prosecutor's job in an acting capacity on Feb. 28 before a new appointment is made.
"Until U.S. Attorney nominees are confirmed, the interim and acting leaders in the U.S. Attorneys' Offices will make sure that the department continues to accomplish its critical law enforcement mission, vigorously defend the rule of law and pursue the fair and impartial administration of justice for all," Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson said in a statement Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is working with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley to appoint a selection committee to interview and recommend candidates for the job. They will then recommend finalists to forward to the Biden administration for selection, according to the two Democratic senators.
"Both senators thank Billy Williams for nearly six years of service to Oregon in this post as the state's chief federal law enforcement official," according to a joint statement from the senators' offices.
In a statement, Williams called it "an incredible honor to serve the people of Oregon."
"In more than 20 years with this office, I have had the distinct privilege to engage with countless colleagues, friends, community members, law enforcement partners, litigants, and others committed to making our communities better, safer places to live and thrive," he said. "There is still much work to do in our collective pursuit of justice and equity for all, but I am proud of what we've accomplished together. Most of all, I am grateful to have worked with so many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers who daily put themselves at risk to protect Oregonians. You have and always will be a great inspiration to me."
Among the names that have surfaced as potential successors to Williams:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel, deputy chief of the office's criminal division who has worked as a federal prosecutor since 2007 and previously did civil litigation and criminal defense work for two law firms.
Renata Gowie, chief of the office's civil division who recently had been a candidate for a federal appellate judge's seat.
Dwight Holton, a former acting U.S. attorney in Oregon who previously worked as an assistant federal prosecutor in New York and Portland before heading the Lines for Life nonprofit that works to prevent substance abuse and suicide.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight, a veteran federal prosecutor and former deputy district attorney who unsuccessfully ran for the Multnomah County district attorney's seat this year.
Donna Maddux, who spent eight years as a federal prosecutor after working for the Oregon Department of Justice for 10 years, is just months into a new job doing data privacy and cybersecurity law for a private firm.
Vivek Kothari, who does civil litigation as an associate with the firm Markowitz Herbold and co-founded the Oregon Clemency Project last year. He previously spent five years as a federal prosecutor in Atlanta.
John Hummel, who was first elected Deschutes County district attorney in 2014 and then re-elected in 2018. He previously served as state and federal policy director for the Oregon Primary Care Association.
Williams, 64, served as acting and interim U.S. attorney after replacing Amanda Marshall in April 2015 before he was appointed by Trump on Nov. 17, 2017, and confirmed by the Senate in March 2018. He joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in October 2000 after serving as a Multnomah County deputy district attorney.
In the last month, Williams has been seeking to hold on to his job, requesting letters from supporters to submit on his behalf as he expressed his desire to remain in the seat.
Yet all of the Trump-era appointees confirmed by the Senate were asked to submit their resignations, except two top prosecutors in Delaware and Connecticut who are overseeing Trump-era investigations.
Connecticut U.S. Attorney John H. Durham will continue as special counsel in the investigation of the origins on the Trump-Russia inquiry, but is being asked to resign as U.S. Attorney, according to The Hartford Courant. Delaware's U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss, whose office is directing a tax investigation of Biden's son Hunter Biden, will remain in office.
It is common for new presidents to replace U.S. attorneys and the request for Williams' departure was long anticipated.
In recent years, Williams has clashed with Portland city officials.
His decision last year to maintain the federal deputization of 50 Portland police officers, despite the city's objection and request to drop the federal authority granted to local officers, has led to a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice.
In July, he called it "nonsensical political theater" for Portland city officials to bar local police collaboration with federal officers during protests and urged local residents to demand that "violent extremists" stop attempting to breach the fence put up around the federal courthouse. He also has pursued rare federal civil disorder charges against more than a dozen people involved in last year's demonstrations.
In February 2019, Williams called it a "mistake that defies logic" after the City Council voted to withdraw Portland police from the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force.
When he first took over the office, Williams oversaw the federal prosecution of Ammon Bundy and other leaders of the 41-day armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon.
Bundy and six other defendants charged in the armed takeover were acquitted at trial in October 2016, found not guilty of conspiring to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs through intimidation, threat or force. A second trial resulted in guilty verdicts on at least one felony charge against each of four other defendants who played more minor roles in March 2017.
-- Maxine Bernstein
Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212
Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian